Carton opener tool

ABSTRACT

A CARTON OPENER TOOL HAVING A U-SHAPED HANDLE, AN ELONGATED ARM EXTENDING TRANSVERSLY AWAY FROM THE HANDLE, AND AN INSERTION BLADE CONNECTED TO THE OPPOSITE END OF THE ELONGATED ARM AND EXTENDING BACK TOWARD THE HANDLE AND TERMINATING SHORT OF THE HANDLE IN A BEVELED FREE END. THE INSERTION BLADE IS ANGULARLY INCLINED TO ONE SIDE SO THAT ITS FREE END IS OFFSET TO THAT SIDE OF THE HANDLE AND THE ELONGATED ARM. THE FREE END OF THE INSERTION BLADE IS DISPOSED SLIGHTLY BEYOND THE PLANE OF AN END FACE OF THE HANDLE IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM THE ELONGATED ARM.

Oct. 19, 1971 C- R. BASSETT CARTON OPENER TOOL Filed April 23, 1969 11V VENTOA ClflfA/(f A? 45/455677 5.4 604 p/cK/IQ yA/A/ United States Patent 3,613,134 CARTON OPENER TOOL Clarence R. Bassett, 255 Steele Ave., Ashland, Ohio 44805 Filed Apr. 23, 1969, Sex. No. 818,643 Int. Cl. B67b 7/30; B251 1/00 US. Cl. 7-14.1 21 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A carton opener tool having a U-shaped handle, an elongated ar-m extending transversely away from the handle, and an insertion blade connected to the opposite end of the elongated arm and extending back toward the handle and terminating short of the handle in a beveled free end. The insertion blade is angularly inclined to one side so that its free end is offset to that side of the handle and the elongated arm. The free end of the insertion blade is disposed slightly beyond the plane of an end face of the handle in a direction away from the elongated arm.

This invention relates to a tool for opening cartons.

Cardboard cartons commonly are closed and sealed in various ways, including stapling, gluing, and the use of gummed tape or tape with a pressure-sensitive adhesive. Any one carton may be closed and sealed by various combinations of these techniques, and usually gluing is one of the techniques used. The cartons themselves usually are one-piece slotted cartons or two-piece cartons in which the outer and inner halves interfit telescopically.

Particularly because of the effectiveness of the glues used today in sealing cartons, it is virtually impossible to open cartons using a conventional tool, such as a screwdriver, without permanently damaging the carton and possibly damaging its contents, also. In addition, the opening of such cartons by presently available tools is unduly laborious and time consuming.

The present invention is directed to a tool which solves all of the foregoing difliculties in a highly efiicacious manner, enabling the rapid and convenient opening of a carton which has been closed and sealed by any of the usual techniques now in use.

Accordingly, it is the principal object of this invention to provide a novel and improved tool for readily and conveniently opening a sealed carton without damaging the carton or its contents.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following description of a presentlypreferred embodiment thereof, taken with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the present tool;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of this tool;

FIG. 3 is an end elevational view of the tool taken from the right end of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the inside of the free end of the blade on the present tool, viewed from the line 44 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged end elevational view of the free end of the blade, viewed from the line 55 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the present tool being used to break the glued seal between the two halves of a telescopic carton;

FIG. 7 is a similar view showing the present tool being used to break the glued seal between the overlapping flaps of a slotted carton;

FIG. 8 is a similar view showing the present tool being used to remove staples on a slotted carton; and

FIG. 9 is a similar view showing the present tool being used to break the tape seal between adjacent flaps of a slotted carton.

ice

Referring first to FIG. 2, in general outline the pr ferred embodiment of the present carton opener tool comprises a handle 10, a fiat elongated arm 11 connected to the handle and extending transversely therefrom, and a flat elongated insertion blade 12 having a connection to the end of the elongated arm 11 remote from the handle and extending therefrom back toward the handle 10 and terminating short of the handle in a free end.

The handle 10 is generally U-shaped, consisting of parallel fiat outer and inner legs 13 and 14, and a generally flat bight portion 15 which rigidly interconnects these legs at one end. The outer leg 13 at its end remote from the bight portion 15 is generally V-shaped in outline, as best seen in FIG. 3, presenting oppositely inclined edges 16 and 17 which intersect midway across its width to provide a point 18. Also, this end of the outer leg 13 is beveled at its outer face (away from the inner leg 14), as indicated at 19 in FIG. 2, so that this face tapers toward the point 18.

The substantially fiat outer face of the bight portion 15 of the handle 10 lies in a plane which is indicated by the dashed line P in FIG. 2.

The elongated arm 11 is joined integrally to the end of the inner leg 14 of the handle which is remote from the bight portion 15 of the handle. This arm extends transversely away from the inner leg 14 of the handle at an angle of slightly less than so that it is inclined with respect to the handle toward the plane P of the bight portion 15 of the handle, as best seen in FIG. 2. The outer face of the elongated arm 11 (which is the bottom face in FIG. 2) extends substantially co-planar with the pointed free end 18 of the outer leg 13 of the handle 10.

The insertion blade 12 is connected to the end of the elongated arm 11 by a relatively short, rigid end segment 20, which extends generally parallel to the handle 10. The end segment 20 is substantially shorter than the handle 10.

The insertion blade 12 (FIG. 2) extends from the end segment 20 at an acute angle to the inner leg 14 of the handle which is opposite to the angular inclination of the elongated arm 11 with respect to this leg of the handle.

Also, as best seen in FIGS. 1 and 3, the insertion blade 12 extends from the end segment 20 of the tool back toward the handle 10 angularly to one side of the elongated arm 11 and the handle 10, so that at its free nd virtually the complete width of the blade is offset laterally to that side.

The insertion blade 12 is beveled at each of its longitudinal edges 21 and 22 for almost its entire length away from its connection to the end segment 20.

At the outer end of its inside beveled longitudinal edge 21 the free end of the blade has a substantially flat and blunt end face 23 which extends across almost the full width of the blade. A rounded tip 24 extends between this blunt end face 23 and the beveled longitudinal outer edge 22 of the blade. A sharp corner 25 is formed at the intersection between this rounded tip 24 and the longitudinal blade edge 22.

At its inner major face 26 (the face toward the elongated arm 11 of the tool) the free end of the blade 12 is beveled at 27 (FIG. 2) beneath the entire rounded corner 24 and part-way across the blunt end face 23, as best seen in FIG. 4.

As shown in FIG. 2, the inside face of the free end of the insertion blade 12 is positioned almost coplanar with the plane P of the end face 15 of the handle, being located slightly beyond this plane outward from the elongated arm 11 of the tool. The beveled surface 27 on the inside of the free end of the blade facilitates its insertion behind a flap on a slotted carton or between the overlapping sides of the two halves of a telescopic carton. Preferably, the outer end of the beveled surface 27 (at its juncture with the rounded tip 24) is disposed beyond the plane P of the handle end face by about the thickness of a single layer of the cardboard wall or flap of the carton.

FIG. 6 shows the manner in which the present tool may be used to separate the glued-together halves of a telescopic carton. The user grasps the outer leg 13 of the handle with one hand and the elongated arm 11 with the other hand, as shown, and positions the end face 15 against the side 30 of the outer half of the carton near the right corner of the carton. The user slides the handle end face 15 up across this side of the carton until the free end of the insertion blade enters between this side of the outer carton and the corresponding side of the inner carton which is directly behind it in FIG. 6. Preferably, the blade 12 is inserted between the sides of the two carton halves to substantially the full height of these sides at the right corner.

After the blade 12 has been fully inserted, the user moves the tool to the left, causing the beveled outer edge 22 of the blade 12 to break the glue seal between these sides of the outer and inner carton. The same procedure is repeated at each of the remaining sides of the carton where the outer and inner halves of the carton are glued together.

If desired, however, the user may use the beveled inside edge 21 of the blade as the leading edge of the tool to break the glue. In the particular tool shown, this would be done by moving the tool from, left to right in FIG. 6.

FIG. 7 shows how the present tool may be used to break the glue seal beneath a top flap 31 on a conventional slotted carton. The end face 15 of the tool handle is slid across this top flap from left to right in FIG. 7 until the beveled free end of the blade 12 passes beneath one end of the flap near the corner 'where it is joined to the carton side wall 32, and this movement of the tool may be continued until as much of the blade as desired is beneath the flap 31. Then the user may turn the tool clockwise in FIG. 7 to break the rest of the glue seal beneath the top flap at this end of the carton, using the outer blade edge 22 as the leading edge of the tool to break this seal. After turning the tool approximately one-quarter turn clockwise in this manner, the user may simply slide the tool from left to right in FIG. 7 along the top flap to complete the breaking of its glued attachments to the underlying end flaps of the carton.

In using the present tool to open either a glued telescopic carton (FIG. 6) or a glued slotted carton (FIG. 7), the insertion blade 12 may be easily and conveniently inserted beneath the outer wall or flap of the carton by using the end 15 of the handle as a guide which slides across the outside of the carton. Since the free end of the blade 12 is positioned beyond the handle end face 15 in a direction toward the carton by about a single thickness of the carton wall or flap, when the handle end face 15 engages the outside of the carton, the free end of the blade Will be positioned to pass between the outside flap or wall of the carton and the wall or flap behind, to which it is glued. This insures that the glue seal will be broken without damaging the carton, and it also insures that the free end of the blade will not cut through the inside wall or flap of the carton and damage the cartons contents.

From FIGS. 6 and 7 it will be seen that the inner leg 14 of the U-shaped handle on the present tool protects the knuckles of the users hand from scraping against the carton.

FIG. 8 shows the present tool being used as a staple puller. The user grasps the tool as shown and inserts the pointed and beveled free end tip 18 on the outer leg 13 of the handle beneath the staple and rocks the tool counter clockwise in FIG. 8 to pry the staple loose.

FIG. 9 illustrates the manner in which the present tool may be used to break a tape 33 sealing a carton closed. The user grasps the elongated arm 11 as shown, with the outer edge 22 of the blade 12 facing toward the carton so that the sharp corner 25 is positioned to break the tape as the tool is moved from right to left in FIG. 9. The angular offset of the blade 22 with respect to the elongated arm 11 and the handle 10, so that the free end corner 25 and the first few inches of the outer beveled edge 22 on the blade are closer to the carton than the corresponding edges of the arm 11 and handle 10, greatly facilitates the use of the tool to break the sealing tape.

The present tool also may be used as a hammer, with the bight portion 15 serving as the hammer head and the arm 11 as the handle.

From FIGS. 6 and 7 it will be seen that the inner leg trated embodiment of the present tool is particularly well adapted for a variety of different functions related to the opening of cartons, particularly glued cartons. However, while a presently-preferred embodiment of this tool has been shown and described it is to be understood that various structural modifications and refinements in the tool which differ from the disclosed embodiment may be adopted without departing from the scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A carton opener tool having a handle with an end face for sliding engagement with a carton, an elongated arm connected to said handle away fromsaid end face thereof and extending transversely away from the handle, and an insertion blade connected to said arm remote from the handle and extending back toward the handle and terminating short of the handle in a free end which is approximately coplanar with said end face on the handle.

2. A carton opener tool according to claim 1, wherein said insertion blade extends back toward said handle to one side of the elongated arm and the handle, with said free end of the blade being offset laterally from the handle.

3. A carton opener tool according to claim 2, wherein said blade is beveled along its longitudinal edge at the side toward which it is offset laterally.

4. A carton opener tool according to claim 2, wherein said blade is beveled along each longitudinal edge thereof.

:5. A carton opener tool according to claim 1, wherein said free end of the insertion blade is beveled at the face thereof which faces toward said elongated arm.

6. A carton opener tool according toclaim 1, wherein said free end of the insertion blade is disposed slightly beyond the plane of said end face of the handle in a direction away from said elongated arm.

7. A carton opener tool according to claim 6, wherein said free end of the insertion blade is 'beveled at the face thereof which faces toward said elongated arm.

8. A carton opener tool according toclaim 7, wherein said insertion blade extends back toward said handle angularly to one side of the elongated arm and the handle so that the free end of the blade is offset laterally from the handle.

9. A carton opener tool according to claim 8, wherein said insertion blade is beveled along each longitudinal edge thereof.

10. A carton opener tool according to claim 1, wherein said handle is generally U-shaped, with an inner leg connected to said elongated arm, an outer leg extending generally parallel to said inner leg, and a bight portion interconnecting said outer and inner legs and providing said end face of the handle.

11. A carton opener tool according to claim 10, wherein said outer leg of the handle terminates in a free end away from said bight portion which is pointed and beveled for use as a staple remover.

12. A carton opener tool having a handle, an elongated arm connected at one end to said handle and extending transverse to the handle, and an insertion blade having longitudinal edges defining a plane spaced from said arm, said blade being connected to said arm remote from the handle and extending back toward the handle and terminating short of the handle in a free end, at least one longitudinal edge of said blade being beveled from the free end thereof toward the connection with said arm, said beveled edge being sufficiently sharpened to constitute a longitudinal tape and glue breaking edge.

13. A carton opener tool according to claim 12, wherein said blade extends back toward said handle angularly to one side of said arm and said handle so that the free end of the blade is offset laterally to said one side of the handle.

14. A carton opener tool according to claim 13, wherein said blade is beveled along each longitudinal edge thereof.

15. A carton opener tool according to claim 14, wherein said free end of the blade is beveled at the face thereof which faces toward said elongated arm.

16. A carton opener tool according to claim 12, wherein said handle is generally U-shaped, with an inner leg connected at one end to said elongated arm, an outer leg extending generally parallel to said inner leg, and a bight portion connected between said legs at the opposite end of said inner leg.

17. A carton opener tool according to claim 16, wherein said outer leg of the handle terminates in a generally V-shaped free end away from said bight portion which is pointed and beveled for use as a staple remover.

18. A carton opener tool having:

a generally U-shaped handle with a generally straight outer leg, an inner leg extending parallel to said outer leg, and a bight portion rigidly interconnecting said outer and inner legs at one end thereof and defining an end face for sliding engagement with a carbon;

an elongated arm connected to the opposite end of said inner leg and extending transversely away from the latter in a direction way from said outer leg and inclined from said inner leg toward the plane of said end face;

an end segment connected at one end to the end of said elongated arm remote from the handle and extending away from said elongated arm generally parallel to the handle, said end segment being substantially shorter than said inner leg of the handle;

and a fiat elongated insertion blade connected to the opposite end of said end segment and extending therefrom back toward the handle in a plane which is oppositely inclined toward said inner leg of the handle from the inclination of said elongated arm thereto, said insertion blade terminating short of said inner leg of the handle in a free end which is disposed slightly beyond the plane of said end face of the handle in a direction away from said elongated arm.

'19. A carton opener tool according to claim 18, wherein said blade extends back toward said handle angularly to one side of the elongated arm and the handle so that the free end of the blade is offset laterally to said one side of the elongated arm and the handle.

20. A carton opener tool according to claim 19, wherein said blade is beveled along its longitudinal edge at the side toward which it is angularly ofiset laterally.

21. A carton opener tool according to claim 19, wherein said blade is beveled along each longitudinal edge thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,626,806 5/1927 Forry 30-2 2,686,969 8/1954 Furey 30-2 FOREIGN PATENTS 442,921 4/192-7 Germany 30 317 ROBERT C. RIORDON, Primary Examiner R. V. PARKER, JR., Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

